Outside of winning titles, receiving accolades and adoration of the masses, the greatest thing any athlete can do is pay it forward.

Former Phoenix Suns first-round draft pick and University of Wisconsin’s all-time leading scorer Alando Tucker is doing just that with his company, Arcitec Basketball, in bringing his summer basketball camp to his alma mater, Lockport Township High School in his hometown of Lockport, IL.

Fresh off wrapping up his professional season overseas, Tucker’s week-long camp started on Monday, and children ages 8-17 not only have gotten the benefit of elite-level training, but have also received the mentorship from someone who walked the same streets as they do now, and who has seen a lot of the world, all thanks to the game of basketball.

We caught up with Tucker recently to discuss his plans with Arcitec and giving back to his hometown.

SLAM: What’s been the reception from the kids so far?

Alando Tucker: It’s been a great reception. The most important part is that the word is spreading. It was difficult because I only had a month to promote. After the season ended in France, I had to come here ad set some things up, so I was kind of worried because I didn’t have enough time to start promoting. But the reception has been great because after the first day, I had about five kids come and sign up for the second day to finish the camp. I’m getting great responses from the parents about the things that we’re teaching the kid and it’s great.

SLAM: Where did the concept behind Arcitec Basketball come from?

AT: The idea behind Arcitec Basketball is, I always felt like in my career and with my life, I tried to design it to a certain matter. The only thing I could control was my talents and how hard I work, so I designed that. How far I can make it from there, I couldn’t control that. But I knew if I worked as hard as possible, I could design my own frame, my own structure. The basis behind Arcitec started with that idea of building. I have a son that’s five years old and I’ve trained him since he could walk. Everyone who sees him, all my friends, they’re amazed because he’s doing things that we couldn’t do at 15 and 16, and these are some of the things I’ve learned. I understood how to work with kids, teach them certain principles and characteristics through basketball and using that to teach life skills on a of different things. I always had great network of guys in the NBA, front offices and collegiate coaches. I have a huge network, so I wanted to build something that’s not only local and in my hometown but we also ran a clinic in London this past May, so things are spreading.

SLAM: What’s it like to not only be offering a clinic like this to youth, but to also be bringing this to the place where it all started for you?

AT: It’s very special. For one, when I look back at high school basketball, our area is down in athletics and it’s been a lot of different violent activities and things of that nature in the Chicagoland area. So I look at what I’m doing and it’s special because it’s giving these kids hope. I’m surrounding them with positivity, giving them something to do and keeping them out the street. When I was growing up, I didn’t have someone that made it to the NBA, played professional ball, that come back and showed me the proper things and the right paths to make it to that next level. I was going off watching television and other things. So it’s special that I’ve also structured a staff of guys that have played collegiately. One of the instructors was under Tim Grover for two years. So I put together a staff of guys that really know how to train elite athletes and we’re bringing that here in an area where kids have never seen this. I had the opportunity to go back to Wisconsin and other things, but I turned those down because I wanted to touch home first. From home, it will extend to Wisconsin, and my second home, Phoenix, where I had the opportunity to be drafted to. I already have that planned and it’s starting to get put in place, but the important part is being able to give back to a community that needs it.

SLAM: For the children participating, what do you feel are the benefits of this camp?

AT: It’s very beneficial. I come from an era, where I’m listening to guys like Kobe Bryant talking about how he learned his footwork, when he learned it and comparing that to AAU. I’m not going to bash any AAU basketball, I’m just saying on my end, if I understood footwork at an early age and how to beat a guy—I was just going off of straight talent. Once I got to college, I kind of understood like “this is how you use your hands,” or “this is how you’re supposed to come off a screen.” The earlier you can obtain any knowledge of a sport, it’s only better and that’s what we’re trying to provide, along with the mentorship. Some of these guys need that and to understand that if you work hard enough and you can build your own vision and own path through your hard work, you can give yourself a chance to get a higher education that’s paid for. My mother couldn’t afford that and most of these kids, their parents can’t afford for them to go to college, so they have to find other outlets, whether it be basketball, football, and baseball. It would have been great if I had this when I was coming up.

SLAM: What’s your overall goal with Arcitec?

AT: Without giving away too much information and what we actually have in play, it’s going to be a global brand. I’m working on merchandise. I have international manufacturers already structuring ideas, so my coaches are around wearing fashionable gear. I want to be an international brand that takes the idea of being an architect, given independence to each and every athlete, understanding that they’re a brand and that they can build their own brand. I want them to understand that at an early age. My end game is to take this idea and go into all aspects of the world, especially where basketball is growing at high rates. Me being in London and having the opportunity to next year do London and Paris. I’ve been asked to come to Croatia and different places. These are the goals that I want to be able to put into communities that need this hope, this structure. I want to teach kids how to work at an early age and train like professionals. If I can do this all throughout the U.S. and internationally, that’s when I’ll be satisfied. I have things in play already that I’m very encouraged about how we’ve been able to move so quickly.

SLAM: Do you ever sit back and just smile at some of the places the game of basketball has taken you?

AT: Yes! And I’m always humbled and blessed. That’s what pushes and drives me to keep doing what I’m doing. For me to come from a small town outside of the Chicago area, and look up one day and realize that I’m in Russia, Paris, or Italy, and I’m walking through these cities and I know them like I know my neighborhood. When I think of that, it’s just like, Wow! I have friends back home and I can show them and they can live vicariously through me through pictures and stories. I want to provide that to kids to be humbled by those kind of situations because they were able to play the game of basketball and they were able to dedicate themselves to their craft so well that it can take them to places that they would have never seen.

Not exactly a heart-stopping transaction between Minny and Phoenix: “The Timberwolves sent away never-used backup point guard Jason Hart to Phoenix on Tuesday in yet another deal all about acquiring an ‘asset.’ In this case, it was a 2010 second-round pick obtained along with unproven forward Alando Tucker and cash to pay for Tucker’s salary the rest of this season. ‘When you have an opportunity to acquire a pick basically for free, it’s hard not to do,’ Wolves basketball boss David Kahn said before Tuesday’s game against the Spurs.”

A couple of weeks ago, someone mentioned to me that Phoenix guard Alando Tucker was also a rapper. I knew he could act, but had no idea he could rhyme. So I made some calls, sent some emails, and last night I got three tracks from Alando Tucker.

Alando called me a few hours ago, and I asked him about his hip-hop ambitions.

“For me, it’s something that I do,” Tucker said. “It’s a second talent. I write music and I just want everybody to listen to my music first, because I think it explains itself. It’s not a gimmick, it’s not something to make money. It’s something I’m passionate about and have spent hours doing.”

Raised on Chicago’s South Side before going to school at Wisconsin and ending up in Phoenix, Alando grew up around music. “My Mom was always playing The Temptations and Smokey Robinson.” He liked Chicago artists like Twista, and said he was a huge fan of both Tupac and Biggie. (I asked him to pick a side and he admitted he was “more of a Tupac fan.”)

In Phoenix, Tucker has had a chance to pursue his rap ambitions. Tucker says he works with 5th Coast Records, where he records and gets production help. “I write all the songs. I structure what I want the singer to sing. I write everything top to bottom. It’s a long process. Traveling and playing so many road games, we spend a lot of time on planes and hotel rooms. One of the things I like to do is write. Grant Hill and Shaq do a lot with trying to make beats, too.”

• Also a tremendous column from Bill Simmons about the NBA refereeing mess. I especially love his point about how the refs keep getting older and the NBA doesn’t seem to mind.

• Weird story about Sheryl Swoopes, who apparently didn’t know her ex-husband had a storage unit full of her belongings that he decided he didn’t need anymore. And so they all got auctioned off.

• Thanks to the Human Highlight Blog, a great Hawks blog, for giving me some love in their Hawks blog awards.

• Bet you didn’t know you could do this with Legos…

• And finally, an email from Linkstigator Andi:

Hi Lang,

I’ve been reading the Links since the old Slamonline site was up, I’m not sure how long ago that was probably more than 5 years? Anyways, I have been running around town, in Vancouver, trying to bring attention to the end of game inbounds plays where Lamar and Trevor have basically stolen two games from the Nuggets. It is a simple thing that I noticed and I have searched high and low on TV and online to see if anyone else noticed or cared.

In both situations Lamar is about 3 inches away from Anthony Carter (Game 1) and K-Mart (Game 3). If I am not mistaken, they can ask the referee to move the man who is guarding the inbounder a few feet away. In Game 3, K-Mart called a time out and still did not do this. I have blamed Coach Karl for not advising his players to do so, but am I missing something here? Is Lamar allowed to be all over the inbounder like he was? He is basically jumping up and down on the out of bounds line. In Game 3, K-Mart is leaning back to make the pass because Lamar is so close to him. It makes me really angry that something so simple has gone unnoticed, especially since both of the plays came at such crucial points of the game. It has been driving me nuts, please shed some light on it!

Good email, Andi. The two plays you’re talking about are below…

I went to the NBA rulebook and looked this up. Check out Rule 8, Section III, Clause A:

The throw-in starts when the ball is at the disposal of a player entitled to the throw-in. He shall release the ball inbounds within 5 seconds from the time the throw-in starts. Until the passed ball has crossed the plane of the boundary, no player shall have any part of his person over the boundary line …

Now, I’ve seen refs make defenders back up before handing the ball to the inbounder, and I’ve seen refs call a delay of game warning on inbounds plays when a defender has crossed the out of bounds line. But I guess the only written rule that applies here is that “until the ball has crossed the plane of the boundary, no player shall have any part of his person over the boundary line.” So basically, as long as the defender stays inbounds, he’s fine.

(There’s also no rule that I saw about how far the inbounding player is allowed to stand from the out of bounds line, which I suppose is why a lot of guys on inbounds passes from the baseline back up a few feet. But on the sideline you’re screwed, especially on passes in front of the scorer’s table.)

One thing I thought of, and I’m surprised more teams don’t try this:

Years ago I was playing in a high school game, and our coach had the point guard inbounding the ball on every inbounds play. (In retrospect, this seems like a George Karl decision, to have your shortest guy always inbounding. Then again, our starting point guard was 6-5.)

Anyway, the starters weren’t in, which explains why I was in, and I was inbounding the ball, looking for an open man. I pump-faked a pass. The defender reached out to try and block my pass, and he ended up touching the ball while I was still holding it and standing out of bounds.

The ref immediately blew the whistle and called a technical foul on the defender for reaching across the line and making contact with the ball. We shot a free throw and got the ball back out of bounds.

So my question in response to your question is this: Why don’t more NBA teams try this? What if Kenyon had just reached out with the ball and touched Odom with it? Wouldn’t that have been a technical? Why not just hold the ball out in front of LO and hope he swats at it?